


sweeter than candy, sweeter than chocolate

by Ticktockbloom



Category: NCT (Band), SuperM (Korea Band)
Genre: Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-23 23:54:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30063483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ticktockbloom/pseuds/Ticktockbloom
Summary: Lucas doesn’t have enough time to tell him about the pink dusting before those lips, sweet because of the shortcake or maybe sweet because that’s just how Taeyong is, are on his.or The five times Taeyong kissed Lucas and the one time Lucas kissed him back
Relationships: Lee Taeyong/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas
Comments: 2
Kudos: 59





	sweeter than candy, sweeter than chocolate

I.

Lucas climbs the stairs, a little box in one hand while the other holds onto the railing, just so he can go a little bit faster. He doesn’t even know why he’s rushing. He just feels this indescribable need to explain everything. Solve whatever problem there is. Apologise? Maybe? He doesn’t know what the right thing to do really is. He doesn’t even know if he’s the right person to be doing this. He just knows that if he doesn’t do it, he will feel awful.

So here he is, standing in front of Taeyong’s door, breathing hard and not knowing what to actually do.

He knocks.

He doesn’t get an answer, not that he expected one.

He knocks again, more softly this time, before carefully opening the door.

“I’m really not in the mood to- “

“Um… I’m sorry. I just thought… I just brought this… umm…”

Taeyong turns from his place in front of the computer and faces Lucas who’s still standing in the doorway.

“I’m sorry if you’re busy. I can just… I don’t know. I can come later,” Lucas continues babbling. He keeps looking down at the box that he’s absent-mindedly started gripping.

He loosens his hold.

Taeyong pauses the game he’s been playing and approaches him. He seems to be as sheepish as Lucas is which makes him feel a little bit better even if he can’t exactly explain why.

“It’s okay,” Taeyong finally says, scratching the side of his face. “Don’t apologise.” He starts biting the skin on his thumb before briskly putting his arm to his side as if someone just reprimanded him.

Lucas clears his throat. This is so awkward. Why is talking to Taeyong always so awkward? Why is finding the right words to say always so much harder when it comes to him? Why does he care so much more when it comes to him?

“I’m sorry about what happened in the practice room.”

“Lucas, it- “

“No. Please, let me finish.”

Taeyong nods, giving Lucas the permission to continue.

“I know that you’re tired. We all are. And I guess we were just trying to let off some steam, so we started joking around…”

Lucas takes a moment to think, pondering if he used the idiom correctly.

“You could’ve waited until after we’d learnt the choreo,” Taeyong mutters, repeating the same words he said in the practice room.

Lucas looks at him.

“You’re right. And I realise that now.” He stretches out his hand with the box. “That’s why I came.”

“What’s that?” Taeyong asks, eyeing the box.

“A peace offering?” Lucas says quietly. There’s a spark of hope in his eyes.

“We’re not fighting.” Taeyong chuckles. “Did somebody tell you to buy this?”

He takes the box from his hand, instantly recognising where it’s from, and bowing his head a little as a thank you.

“No. Well… yes. Ummm…” Lucas scratches his neck nervously. He could lie and say that it’s from everybody. He’s sure it would gain him some plus points from the other guys for having their backs. There’s also the voice in the back of his mind telling him to say the truth though.

“I felt like giving you something for having to deal with… me… us…” Lucas sighs. “… everything.”

Taeyong smiles and opens the box. “How did you know what to buy?”

“I asked Johnny,” Lucas answers hurriedly. “I didn’t know which one is your favourite, so I bought the pink one with lots of frosting. It seems to be really sweet.” He grimaces.

Taeyong giggles before biting his lip. Something seems to shift in him.

He takes the pink piece of shortcake out of the box. He walks up to Lucas with his eyebrows raised, eyes flicking from the confectionery to Lucas’ face as if challenging him. As if silently asking him whether he truly thinks a piece of something sweet will placate him. As if they’re playing some sort of game that Lucas doesn’t know the rules of.

Lucas watches expectedly as Taeyong takes a bite. Taeyong closes his eyes and lets out the softest hum of satisfaction when the sweet taste of the cake hits his tastebuds. He looks beautiful.

There’s still some powder on his upper lip when his eyes open, expression content. Lucas doesn’t have enough time to tell him about the pink dusting before those lips, sweet because of the shortcake or maybe sweet because that’s just how Taeyong is, are on his.

It’s a fleeting moment. Lucas doesn’t even realise it’s happening before it’s over and he has to wipe away the sugar that’s been transferred onto his mouth. He feels his cheeks heat up and his eyes widen.

Taeyong just smiles again, his tongue licking his own lips. “Thank you,” he says. “It’s really tasty.” He takes another bite.

Lucas nods. And then nods again. His back hits the door. “I have to go,” he says out of the blue. He has nowhere that he needs to be but he sure as hell needs to leave immediately.

He doesn’t know what Taeyong says, or if he says anything at all, before he’s out of the door.

II.

Lucas doesn’t tell anybody. He doesn’t know what he’s scared of more. Learning that that’s just how Taeyong shows gratitude and that there’s nothing special about it or him. Or everybody looking at him weird because that’s something that definitely shouldn’t happen between two groupmates. He doesn’t even know if he can speak about it. Maybe Taeyong doesn’t want him spreading this information around. Or maybe Taeyong doesn’t even care. Maybe it just happened in a spur of the moment. Maybe it was nothing. It happened months ago anyways. Only once and never again.

Except they’re spending too much time together nowadays. Never just the two of them but still too close for Lucas to be completely comfortable about it. Lucas is a very touchy person and he doesn’t mind throwing himself at other people or them throwing themselves at him. Except for Taeyong. He just can’t look at him without thinking of that day. Thinking of that kiss. It’s been almost a year and yet it’s the only thing on his mind whenever Taeyong is around.

“What’s going through that head of yours?” Jongin’s voice pulls him out of his thoughts.

“Huh?” He blinks.

Jongin sits down next him, wincing when his joints crack. “You’ve been spacing out for a while now.”

He follows Lucas’ line of sight that is set on Taeyong and Taemin who are laughing at something they’ve found in Baekhyun’s phone that he’d left unlocked on the practice room floor before leaving to get everybody something to drink. No good deed goes unpunished in SuperM, it seems.

“Are the two of you fighting?” Jongin pushes further.

“What? No.” Lucas vehemently shakes his head.

“It’s normal. It takes some time to warm up to certain people.” He bumps his shoulder against Lucas’. “It’s okay if you don’t like every single member in every single group, you know?”

“I do like him,” Lucas says, maybe more loudly than he intended, because Mark looks up from his phone for a second before going back to scrolling. Taeyong and Taemin are thankfully still absorbed in whatever secrets that Baekhyun’s phone holds.

“I do like him,” Lucas repeats, quietly this time. “I like him a lot.”

Lucas can see Jongin’s piercing gaze from the corner of his eye.

“I get it,” Jongin says after a while.

Lucas scoffs. He doubts Jongin gets anything. He himself doesn’t understand it. So how anybody else could?

“GIVE IT BACK!!!”

Lucas turns his head as Baekhyun’s voice resonates through the practice room. “IS THIS HOW YOU TREAT YOUR LEADER? YOU PUNKS!!”

Lucas watches as Baekhyun leaps at Taemin who quickly throws the phone into Taeyong’s arms. Taeyong screeches in excitement and runs away from Baekhyun, heading towards Lucas and Jongin.

“HELP!!!” he yells between giggles.

Jongin promptly stands up. “I want nothing to do with this.”

Taeyong doesn’t seem to mind as he darts behind Lucas’ back, holding onto his shoulders tightly.

“Protect me,” he whispers into his ear.

As if some chip in his brain has been activated, all previous cares and worries fly out of the window, and Lucas wraps Taeyong’s arms around his neck and starts getting up. “Hold on tight,” he says.

“YOU’RE BOTH INSANE!” Baekhyun yells as he watches Lucas sprint past him and run out of the door with Taeyong on his back. “LUCAS!!!”

Lucas’ laughter mingles with Taeyong’s as he runs through the hallway before spotting a familiar door and heading into the other practice room they sometimes use. Thankfully it’s open and also empty.

Lucas has to put Taeyong down as soon as they’re inside, his fatigue starting to set in. Taeyong doesn’t seem to feel tired at all though and instantly latches himself onto Lucas again, tickling him anywhere and everywhere, and making them both fall to the ground.

“Taeyong, stop!” Lucas yelps while unsuccessfully evading Taeyong’s swift hands. He catches one into his own but the fingers of Taeyong’s other hand are already jabbing into his ribs.

Lucas laughs. “Stop this! Stop! You’ll drop the phone!”

Taeyong doesn’t seem to mind. He frees his right hand from Lucas’ grip and continues tickling him with both hands.

Not realising the power imbalance, he’s thrown off guard when Lucas wraps his arms around his waist and switches their positions, pinning Taeyong below him.

“Stop messing around or you’ll break Baekhyun’s phone,” Lucas says seriously.

Taeyong giggles recklessly. “I don’t have it.”

Lucas frowns, loosening his grip on Taeyong. “What?”

“I threw it at Ten before we left the room,” Taeyong says.

There’s that cunning smile again.

Lucas’ frown deepens. “What?” he repeats.

“You’re cute when you frown.” Taeyong sits up and plants a kiss on Lucas’ cheek. “We should go practice,” he says as if nothing happened, leaving Lucas completely dumbfounded.

III.

The nervousness around him is palpable and Lucas is sure he would’ve noticed it more if he wasn’t going through the whole choreo in his mind for the hundredth time already. He wasn’t this nervous just minutes ago, joking with the other members while they were getting their make-up ready.

Now that he’s actually backstage with nothing to do…

“Hey.” He feels an arm swing around his shoulders. “We’ve done this before, haven’t we?” Ten says encouragingly.

Lucas looks at him. “We really haven’t.”

Ten chuckles. “You’re right. Not like this.” He squeezes Lucas’ arm. “I’m sure it will be the same as always.”

Lucas nods even though he knows this isn’t the same as always. This is a supergroup project that he’s in, with some of the best performers in the company, some which he idolises himself.

He looks at Jongin discussing something with Taemin.

He knows he has practiced enough. He knows he’s prepared perfectly. He just can’t calm down the nerves that always come, even more now than ever before.

He can hear faint screams from outside and Baekhyun laughing on his right. Different noises from different places.

Lucas doesn’t know how much times has passed before he feels a hand slip into his. He doesn’t have to look up to see whose it is.

“You okay?” Taeyong whispers and those words are enough to make Lucas breathe in more calmly.

“Not really.”

“I’ll be there,” Taeyong says.

Only then does Lucas look into those big brown eyes that are set on his. Those eyes that are so full of assurance, warmth, and something that seems like a hint of hope.

And it’s funny really that the person who usually makes his heart race and his hands shake does the complete opposite now. Because it’s Taeyong and Taeyong will be there. Everything always works out perfectly when Taeyong is there. And Taeyong will be there.

The stage director calls for them.

It all happens in a whirlwind. Suddenly they’re on stage, talking and performing. Doing what they do best. One song blends into another, and Lucas is laughing and yelling backstage with the rest of them.

“WE DID IT!” Taemin yells at Jongin before hugging him enthusiastically.

Baekhyun is in deep discussion with Lee Sooman, and Ten with Mark are watching the performance on the phone, hyping each other up whenever their part comes on.

“There you are!” Taeyong says as he hugs him from behind, hooking his chin on Lucas’ shoulder. Lucas doesn’t even mind that they’re both sweaty.

“Here I am!”

“So?” Taeyong asks, swaying both of them.

Lucas turns in Taeyong’s hold so he’s properly facing him, holding both of his hands. He sees Taeyong smiling at him, and there it is again. Those shivers that he always gets around him. They start at the tips of his fingers, that are currently entwined with Taeyong’s, and spread into his arms and then everywhere else.

Taeyong quickly looks around before pulling Lucas closer and closing the gap between them. It’s different this time. Maybe because Lucas knew it would come. Maybe because they’re both full of so many emotions that there’s no other way to let them out.

And even though they’re both salty, it is the sweetest kiss Lucas has ever received.

VI.

Lucas makes his peace with it. He tells himself that that’s just something they have. It’s nothing deep, nothing meaningful. Taeyong just sometimes feels like he should kiss him. That’s normal. Who is he to refuse?

“So, you still haven’t talked to him about it?” Jongin asks him two days after the showcase.

They’re sitting by the pool, legs swinging in the cold water, while the rest is deciding on which movie to watch inside.

Lucas shrugs. “There isn’t much to talk about. It just happened.”

“Just happened?” Jongin asks in disbelief. “You kissed. That doesn’t just happen.”

“We kissed before,” Lucas murmurs, not knowing if he should reveal even more than what Jongin already knows.

“You what?!”

Lucas looks into the living room, checking if the doors are closed and nobody can hear their conversation.

“Listen,” he lowers his voice, “it happened twice, maybe three times. I don’t know. It’s been a long time ago and I don’t even know if the other time counts. It’s just…” He sighs. “It’s just something that happens. It doesn’t have to mean anything.”

Jongin blinks a few times, trying to process all of the information. “Lucas, it always means something. He’s kissed you multiple times now and you’re…” He shakes his head. “It doesn’t mean anything to you?”

Lucas starts playing with the hem of his now slightly soaked shorts. “It does but…” He looks into the living room again. “Maybe it doesn’t to him.”

Jongin gets up. “You’re hopeless.”

Lucas panics. “Where are you going?”

“I’m joining them cause there’s no helping you, it seems.”

Lucas stays outside for a while longer, thinking about if he should really talk to Taeyong. The thing is, if Taeyong needed to tell him something, he would have. If the kisses meant something, he’s sure that Taeyong would’ve told him by now. Maybe it really is just something that Taeyong needs from time to time. Not everything needs to mean something. Even if it does to Lucas.

Lucas gets up and heads into the living room. He raises an eyebrow when he sees two girls in fancy dresses yelling at each other on the TV.

“Don’t look at me. I wanted to watch a horror movie,” Jongin says.

“Shush,” Ten reprimands them from his place on the rug, obviously captivated by the scene in front of him.

Lucas glances at the couch and sees Taeyong patting the spot next to him. He curses internally and goes to join him.

Taeyong is taking up most of the couch. He’s snuggled under a fluffy blanket and his eyes are only half-open. He cuddles up closer to Lucas when he sits down next to him.

“Where were you?” Taeyong asks him.

Lucas puts an arm around him, stroking his back over the duvet. It’s obvious Taeyong is tired.

“Just outside. Wanted to chat with Jongin about something,” Lucas replies. His gaze shifts from the TV to Jongin who’s watching them. Jongin’s eyes move from Taeyong to Lucas’ hand before giving Lucas a knowing look.

Lucas can’t stand it anymore.

“Aren’t you sleepy?” he asks Taeyong.

Taeyong nods quietly, already half-unconscious.

“Wanna go to bed?”

He doesn’t wait for an answer before picking Taeyong up bridal style and carrying him into his room. He doesn’t dare to look at anyone as he leaves.

He sets Taeyong gently on the bed, fluffing up the duvet around him and tucking his hair behind his ear.

“Goodnight,” he wishes him quietly, getting ready to leave.

A hand tugging on his arm stops him.

“Don’t go,” Taeyong murmurs.

Lucas could leave right now. The grip Taeyong has on his arm isn’t strong and he’s sure Taeyong has fallen asleep again. He could leave but he doesn’t.

He tries to lie down as quietly as possible not to disrupt Taeyong’s sleep. Which doesn’t seem to matter because as soon as he stretches on the bed, Taeyong abandons his pillow to rest his head on Lucas’ chest, tucking his face into the crook of his neck. Taeyong sighs blissfully.

It’s then that Lucas feels lips press against the side of his neck. He freezes but the lips don’t stop. Once. Twice. Three times. And then they’re gone.

Lucas turns his head to see Taeyong’s big eyes staring back at him. He must be fully awake now.

Taeyong’s hand finds its way into Lucas’ hair before their lips meet. Lucas’ palm cradles Taeyong’s cheek while he wraps his other arm around Taeyong’s waist. Taeyong sucks on Lucas’ bottom lip. And Lucas is about to deepen the kiss when Taeyong’s mouth goes limp under his kisses, only answering every third kiss with a peck of his own. 

“Taeyong?” Lucas whispers, looking at his eyes that are now closed again.

Taeyong only hums before nuzzling into Lucas’ neck again.

Lucas thinks his heart is about to jump out of his chest any second now. His lips are trembling and he can still feel the ghost of Taeyong’s own mouth on them.

There’s no way they can continue doing this.

V.

They’ve spent the day together. Lucas doesn’t remember whose idea it was. It doesn’t really matter. What matters is that before going out, he told himself that he and Taeyong would talk. He needed to know where exactly they stood.

Taeyong took him to one of his favourite parks. They ordered coffee and just sat there, watching the kids running around. Lucas was ready to ask him there but the atmosphere was so serene, he didn’t want to ruin it. There was something reassuring about being able to sit in silence with Taeyong. Lucas would peek at him from time to time just to admire the way the sunlight was reflecting in his eyes. He always averted his gaze just in time, so Taeyong wouldn’t realise.

They ended up going to some shops and it felt right. It felt good when Taeyong asked his opinion and he could tell him that a shirt looked good on him. He loved complimenting him, loved how Taeyong’s eyes always lit up before he got all bashful and had to lower his head while softly thanking him.

It is dark outside now. Taeyong just opened the door to his room and Lucas is awkwardly standing in the doorway with one of the shopping bags. He stretches out his arm with it. His and Taeyong’s hands touch when Taeyong takes it from him but Lucas doesn’t let go off the bag.

They stand there, both holding onto the bag that's swinging on the side between them.

“Ummm…”

Taeyong smiles.

“Today was nice,” Lucas says awkwardly. He hates that he’s being awkward again. He hasn’t felt awkward around Taeyong in so long.

“It was,” Taeyong agrees.

“Maybe… ummm…” Lucas looks down at his feet. “We could repeat it some day?”

Taeyong giggles and takes a step closer to Lucas, so there’s almost no space between them now. Lucas is forced to look at him.

“Is that you asking me on another date?” Taeyong asks him with fake innocence.

Lucas’ eyes widen in surprise. “Was this a date?”

Taeyong giggles again. “It wasn’t?” He flutters his eyelashes.

“No, no, I mean, yes, I mean…” Lucas stutters. “I mean. It was. For me. I want it to be one.”

“Good.”

Taeyong lets go off the bag in favour of holding Lucas’ hand and it falls with a slight thump to the ground.

He rises on his tiptoes to place a gentle peck on Lucas’ lips.

Lucas doesn’t allow him to pull away too far before he kisses him back.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading. hope you liked it. <3


End file.
